Limiting Experience and Promoting Fear – Why?

Well, I don’t know if I am right or wrong about what I am stating here. My parents and all my relatives tell me that life in a hostel, studying in a university is one of the most awesome experiences in life. The best part it’s said is that there are no responsibilities or restrictions due to commitments at this age. According to this statement, it should be plausible to say that whatever we pursue in this time period shouldn’t be motivated by fear, but rather by curiosity and a desire to search for new experiences. But it’s disappointing to see most of the people around me motivated by fear. I know it is said some fear is a natural thing. And it’s said that some of it is quite essential. But when I see people all stressed up due to the fear, it makes me feel sad about how it affects their creativity and happiness.

I am a computer Science undergrad and day after day I see people sitting in the classes like passionless zombies , hardly listening to what is being taught and almost never retaining what is taught. It is well-known that Computer Science can be a very challenging field only if what is taught to you serves a purpose. The purpose of understanding more about this ever evolving field and learning to relate with it. What I feel is that all those who find it boring( including me at times :P) find it so because of the fact that they don’t find this knowledge applicable in their immediate surroundings. For example, if I am learning about microprocessors, only if I am programming and using a microprocessor does my knowledge regarding it makes sense. If this isn’t the case then what I feel is all that is being fed to me is crap and since it isn’t what I wanna do, I’ll just forget it. So, the point I am trying to make here is that in order to get over the fear of not landing a good job, not being able to get good grades and the fear of feeling inadequate, we could make use of an antidote called experience.

Whatever we do , we select our own purpose for it or do it just out of curiosity. What we can do is immerse ourselves completely in what we take up and experience it to the fullest. Find relevance for each piece of information we receive in a way which is unique to our own purpose and journey. And in this way, be lit up like lamps with passion instead of cold and bored undead people. There is quite an apt quote for this :

Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn